Well the ducks were picked up today. I broke the am down into pieces and removed all of the skin. That got rendered this afternoon. The breasts are in their brine and the legs are curing with salt.
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Well the ducks were picked up today. I broke the am down into pieces and removed all of the skin. That got rendered this afternoon. The breasts are in their brine and the legs are curing with salt.
OCDshaver, For just making confit would you recommend buying duck fat or rendering it one's self?
If you're buying whole ducks you definitely want to render the fat. There's so much on them and it's so good. But you will probably not have enough fat to make the confit. You'll probably need to bulk it up with some more. I hate to suggest buying it because it's rather expensive for what is a free byproduct when you buy whole birds. But you will probably need more or some chicken fat to pull it off. I peel of all of the fat from the carcasses and add all the excess from the legs and breasts. Then I put it in a food processor and grind it until it looks like frosting. Then that goes into a large sauce pot on low until it's clear.
Confit my new word for the day.
My grandmother told me of storing Pork Chops in a crock in the basement in fat. When she was good and deserved a special treat she was told to go down and get herself a chop out of the fat. Stored/preserved at a cool room temperature.
My dad was born breach on the homestead in 1930 he used to talk about how they would butcher hogs, then make sausage/both smoked and fresh then his mother, my beloved granny would take the fresh sausage, make patties, then fry them in what dad said had to be about a 15" cast iron pan on the wood stove, then place the patties in a large earthen crock and once she had a layer she'd pour hot lard to cover, then go back to making and frying sausage patties and repeat the process. Once the crock was full and with a lot of help, it was moved to the root cellar for storage.
When granny wanted sausage to serve she would dig down and pull out what she needed, then heat them up.
Dad said that after a few months the sausage got a bit 'strong' but they had something to eat.
Oh! Dad used to tell about the dry cured hams and bacon's! They were stored in gunny sacks with no refrigeration. Dad would almost start to drool talking about them! He said the best ones had been stored for about a year!
Now I'm drooling geeeez !!
Ladies and gentlemen, we have smoke.
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Yes there is duck. The last three days have been all about duck. I didn't post any pics because they aren't much different from the last time I posted about this a year or more ago. But it was a good smoke today, very controlled. My temps never exceeded 230 and the duck came out at 160.
Sounds yummy. I have the baby version of that bradley smoker. I really love that thing. Perfect tool for the low maintenance BBQ man such as myself.
I know the confit got the most ink yesterday but the smoked hams came out fantastic.
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Had a BBQ GTG for my family tonight. Weather was not the best, but my mom, sisters, their hubby's and kids, as well as my own brood all enjoyed a rather obscene amount of pork side ribs tonight.
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Some were dry rub, hickory based only, some were done in Kansas City smoked, some in peppercorn with brandy, and some were done in a vidalia onion and maple reduction.
Low and slow on the heat with plenty of wood chips in the smoker.
Grolsch for me and the gents, and some shiraz for the women. 4 litres to be exact. ;)
All done and gone now. I'm just washing down the let over pumpkin pie with some bourbon.
Hope you all had a good Saturday feast as well.
:chapeau
It's not like ya don't bring tasty and informative you know to the table . Ham's is fine wit me !! Plating is nice too .
That looks awesome man ! +1 ! Weather however is what you make of it. I've always wanted to live somewhere where I could grill and entertain. I've always wanted to do a Winter Patio grill with plenty of Hot buttered Rum to go around.I can smell the chicken and pork now and also have some Raclette cheese ! If you dress for it it could be a blast.
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Now that's a Spartan meal,,,
Glad to add to the thread. Now I get updates too. ;)
I do Christmas dinner on the BBQ as well, sometimes at -20C outside.
But always toasty inside the weber..
;)
Mike, That spread looks great!
What Kansas City rub did you use?
At last years local travelling rib fest a vendor named Pistol Pete was selling his own, so I bought 4 jars off him.
Used the last on that dinner. Has a real molasses sweetness and smoke favour that goes all the way through the meat.
I steam my ribs on the Q in pans lined with lemon and orange slices and beer, bone down, pans sealed tight in foil for 2 hrs at 325 many hours, or the day before. Then they hit the grill for the saucing 2 hrs before I plan to serve at 220 or just below flame up till they loook like mahogany.
That was 20 lbs of sides cut into halves on the grill. And there is still one rack left for lunch tomorrow now so it's all mine.
;)
Glad I'm not the only meat-a-tarian on here..
Just got back from a weekend spent at a Threshing show. Their signature Saturday night feed is bologna and sweet corn cooked using an old milk bulk tank for a steamer using the steam from the boiler of a steam tractor. Saturday afternoon we helped make ice cream using my friends 1/3rd scale engine. No pictures of the food:( but here is one using his new 1/3rd scale baler baling straw. The tractor is a working model of a 1915 65 hp Case.
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Very cool. Love steam powered equipment.
Oh hey now.........you humble me . Thank you very sincerely. Well I'll keep you posted but on that note. Thanks to your Confit mania goin on here , you got me thinking about canning and preserving. I'm mulling the idea of a pressure canner from Lehmans but it might be a bit. They're $200.00 but, I'm sure they're worth every penny. Good appetite to you ! :beer1:
I think now's a good time to raise a mug of joe and toast all the fine folks contributing to this fine thread. You make me want to become better in the kitchen.
Well as one Meat-a-Tarian to another I'm going to hijack this thread/but only once.:HJ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJM2TAtOyko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSlaPp-kB5Q
Well, once again no actual pictures of plates of food, but the other night it was just me and a couple of mates sitting around, and we decided to cook up a bit of a feed as we usually do when the bellys start to rumble. we threw together a bit of a starter of damper. And ate that with a bit of butter and golden syrup (as you do). That was followed by a main course of roast lamb stuffed with garlic and seasoned, baked potatoes and onions and a leg of goat basted and seasoned. Dessert was bourbon and playing music with a bit of singing thrown in. The tall lanky mate of mine has a brilliant voice.
The boys tending the fires and getting set to lift the lid on the camp ovens to check how things are going.
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Just playing some Ukulele (me) and guitar (another bloke with the good name of Mick) while keeping an eye on the leg of goat on the spit
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The faithful Devil Dog in the background wondering if she's going to get a feed as well.
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Mick
That's what I love about this forum. If you get AD of any kind ,no one says "maybe you should think it over first" instead it's "let the Devil have his way with you ! hahahaha ! We'll see about that canner. Like I said it is expensive hahahahaha ! I do appreciate the support though. after reading about Cudarunner and 32t's grandmothers storing sausage patties and chops in fat I just about saw God and then I was reading Lehmans description about their canners and storing meats and such.....well let's just say the gears are turning for now.
And, as an apartment dweller in the middle of a big city I am out to prove that just because you ain't living in the sticks doesn't mean you can't still be somewhat self sufficient. In my interest in Russian culture for example I have learned that a lot of modern day Russians who live in the city actually make their own pickles and dried Fish(in their apartments) how old skool peasant is that ? And in these uncertain economic times I listen to the wisdom of the Depression era folks. They either stretched a buck or starved and that was that.
So...spend $200.00 on a pressure canner and make wholesome real food forever or continue spending dollars on over hyped pre-made this and that for the sake of commercialism that isn't near as tasty or substantial. My bet is on Grandma's sausage patties ha ha. Processed commercial food is out as much as possible. And your Confit is helping me with that thought. :chapeau Could someone please pass the biscuits thank you very much !
How funny, I have the Lehman's catalog sitting next to me. I'm not sure you need a pressure cooker to can. Anyway, here's a link to a brief canning primer.Home Canning Guide: Learn How to Can Your Own Food
Your right , you don't need a pressure cooker to can High acid foods but, you do for low acid foods meats etc. and a pressure canner does both. I am averse to clutter and living in a studio apartment space is a luxury so multi taskers are king in this castle.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Lehmans rocks ha ha...I'm also looking at European pickle crocks . Dangerous waters here folks ha ha ! Okay that being said I gotta go to the store,. I haven't eaten all day and I'm sitting here talking about food with you lot....the cat has eaten twice already but not Daddy ! Bon appetite !!
Well im not trying to talk you out of the purchase but a few of those things you mentioned making don't really need a canning machine. I'm not sure what your living situation is like but $200 might get your foot in the door with a smoker. Think how liberating a whole side of smoked salmon would be. But in the absence of a smoker, gravlox is damn fine too. Make your own pastrami and rye bread. Throw on a home made half sour and a plate of German potatoe pancakes. You'll be craving that feast once a month. Or hell, get started with nothing but a case of Ball mason jars at Target or a good crock or jar with a lid for making some bachelors jam. I got a feeling you'd be into bachelors jam. There are some inexpensive options (says the man that owns a sausage press and is about to by a second professional ice cream maker), not as fun though. If you do, let it change your life. Develope new seasonal traditions and eating habits to make use of your treasures.
I do eat seasonal have been for years. A canner or pressure cooker can presrve/can but also cooks. which is a plus.I'm just thinking out loud right now.I don't feel like yer talking me outta the deal hah.I make pickles all the time and cabbage too so I'm sure the jam would be good.I used to make yogurt and sourdough starter back in the day.I wasn't good with the starter. not conducive to me I guess ? This is more for long term storage as I already eat fairly naturally. No place for a smoker in this household hence the canner. Would if i could though a smoked carcass sounds good bout now as I still have not got out the damn door haw! Mason jars...I got too many ha ha. short,squatty,tall n fatt (with two t's) ! ;) Lehman's - Search
Now, this right here is the perfect ticket for a bachelor in a studio in apartment. It multitasks and is not a huge bank breaker.
https://www.lehmans.com/p-8346-fagor...oking-set.aspx
That being said.I really just need the cooker and rack and lid magnet. Everything else I have so I may just look into pressure cookers which is what this essentially is.
Apologies for the thread Hijack guys as this got off to a more niche track. Sorry..
Thats totally cool. As a ex pat Romanian I like your style lol.
I reinforced tonight why I don't frequent fast food places. Tried a texas whatever from Burger King. Didn't taste worth a darn and cost me over $10. I did get a diet coke though!:rofl2:
On my way to work today, walking through a small park, I noticed two beautiful mushrooms growing. I knew them well, they are easy to identify and cannot be confused with any other mushrooms in our fauna. They are delicious, and I was thinking about them all day long at work, semi anxious that someone else would spot them and harvest them. On my way back home I grabbed them and cooked them up with a steak flambče, a cream sauce, some parsnips and a little cauliflour.
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Wild things
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Dinner!